Mobility Health Benefits Bargaining

The most recent bargaining report, dated 7/23,  reads as follows:

“The CWA and AT&T Bargaining Committees for Mobility Health Care Benefits held meetings in Atlanta, with the assistance of a federal mediator, in another attempt to reach a tentative agreement.

“Unfortunately, even with this assistance there was no agreement reached between the parties. The rules under mediation require that particulars of these discussions and meetings must remain off-the-record and confidential, so there are no other details we can share.

“The union is now preparing for the last step in this bargaining process which will be to take our proposals before an arbitrator who will decide what our health care benefits plan will be beginning in 2009. The arbitration hearing is scheduled for September.

“The CWA Bargaining Committee wishes to thank you all for you support during these difficult negotiations.”

Further bulletins will be posted as they become available.

Wireless Healthcare Survey

The first phase of negotiations between the Union and AT&T Mobility over our health benefits ended without an agreement. In preparing for meeting with the federal mediator for the next phase of negotiations, the Bargaining Committee wants to gather information from members about their experience with the current plans.  Members can help them by completing the survey available at: http://www.cwa-union.org/survey/att-healthcare-2.html.

Please complete the survey and encourage as many members as possible to do so over the next few days.

Mobility Benefits Bargaining

The bargaining over Mobility benefits ended without a meaningful agreement between the Company and the Union. The District Six website states that the Company’s counter-proposal was actually worse than their original offer. Because an agreement was not reached, the negotiations proceed to mediation, which will begin on July 14 and proceed for ten days. If the mediation does not achieve a resolution acceptable to both the Union and Company then it will proceed to binding arbitration. We will post all further developments here.

Wireless Bargaining Update

From the District 6 Website:

The Bargaining Committee met again with the Company on Friday with demands that they provide outstanding data still owed to us.  It is still apparent that we are the only ones who came to this table to look for possible solutions to what the Company says, but can’t show, are problems with the current health care plan.  Instead, the Company wants us to simply put forward another proposal with “shot in the dark” ingredients of retrogression!  But we are not interested in giving into the astronomically impacting demand the Company proposed on June 4!

 

The Company’s suggestion that, for a family, an employee who earns the average salary within Mobility today should have to pay out more than 17 percent of their annual income before the plan kicks in is insane, let alone unreasonable and immoral! We feel that the Company has wasted enough time avoiding the questions and they need to get serious if we have any chance at reaching a tentative agreement! They need to DO THE RIGHT THING!

 

The Bargaining Committee appreciates all of the support you have shown!!

 

Bargaining has been recessed and will reconvene on June 27.

First Wireless Benefits Bargaining Report

The first report from the bargaining session for wireless benefits is posted on the District Six Website. Link

Download the New Mobility Contract

Here is the finalized 2008 Labor Agreement between AT&T Mobility and CWA District 6. Link

CWA, AT&T Mobility to Open Health Care Talks

From CWA Newsletter

Bargaining gets underway June 3 for the national health care plan covering more than 40,000 workers at AT&T Mobility. The settlement negotiated in 2004 expires June 30.

“CWA is determined to reach a fair agreement on health care that reflects the company’s profitability in what is the fastest-growing segment of the business,” said CWA Executive Vice President Jeff Rechenbach.

If a tentative agreement is not reached by June 30, both parties have agreed to take the dispute to mediation, then arbitration, if necessary, to resolve differences. If a tentative agreement is reached, it will be presented to the membership for ratification and take effect next year.

Members of the CWA bargaining team are Betty Witte, chair, District 3; Paul Klaebel, District 3; Holly Sorey, District 4; Jim Murray, District 6 and Joe Sison, District 9, and John Alphonse, CWA staff representative, District 1.

Mobility Pay Seniority Issues

The local is aware that seniority issues have arisen as a result of the company’s implementation of the new pay scale increases. Our concern has been conveyed to the district whose representatives are meeting with the company. We will keep you posted here on any further developments.